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vitalian

High frequency
UK/ˈvaɪt(ə)l/US/ˈvaɪt(ə)l/

Formal, neutral, and informal

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Definition

Meaning

absolutely necessary or essential; of great importance to life or energy.

Crucially important; essential for the existence, success, or continuation of something; full of life or energy.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

"Vital" can describe both abstract necessity (e.g., a vital piece of information) and physical life force (e.g., vital signs). Its meaning is stronger than "important" and closer to "indispensable."

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Usage is nearly identical. The primary difference is in common collocations with government departments (e.g., UK: "Vital Statistics," US: also "Vital Statistics").

Connotations

Identical; carries strong connotations of necessity and life-or-death importance.

Frequency

Equally frequent and used identically in both varieties.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
vital rolevital importancevital partvital informationvital signs
medium
vital componentvital linkvital cluevital interestvital force
weak
vital energyvital sparkvital necessityvital essencevital decision

Grammar

Valency Patterns

It is vital (that) + clauseIt is vital to + infinitiveBe vital for + noun/gerundNoun + is vital

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

indispensableimperativeparamount

Neutral

essentialcrucialnecessary

Weak

importantsignificantkey

Vocabulary

Antonyms

unimportantinsignificantnon-essentialtrivialperipheral

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “Vital signs”
  • “The vital spark”
  • “A vital statistic”
  • “Cut to the vital quick”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Describes essential components for success: 'Vital to our market strategy.'

Academic

Used to discuss critical factors or necessary conditions in research: 'A vital assumption of the theory.'

Everyday

Describes necessary actions or information: 'It's vital you call her back.'

Technical

In medicine, refers to life-sustaining functions: 'Monitoring the patient's vital signs.'

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

  • N/A - 'vital' is not a verb.

American English

  • N/A - 'vital' is not a verb.

adverb

British English

  • N/A - The adverb is 'vitally'. Example: 'This is vitally important.'

American English

  • N/A - The adverb is 'vitally'. Example: 'We vitally need that data.'

adjective

British English

  • Water is vital for survival.
  • She plays a vital role in the organisation.
  • The nurse checked his vital signs.

American English

  • Communication is vital to the team's success.
  • This is a vital piece of evidence.
  • His vital organs were unharmed.

Examples

By CEFR Level

A2
  • Sleep is vital for children.
  • Water is vital for all people.
  • The doctor said my dad is vital and strong.
B1
  • It is vital to lock the door at night.
  • She provided vital information to the police.
  • Regular exercise is vital for good health.
B2
  • Public trust is vital for the success of any political campaign.
  • The witness's testimony proved vital to the case.
  • The catalyst plays a vital role in the chemical reaction.
C1
  • The treaty is of vital strategic importance to both nations.
  • Protecting the watershed is vital to the region's long-term ecological stability.
  • Her vital, engaging performance captivated the entire audience.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: 'VITAL' contains 'LIFE' (Vit in Latin). What is VITAL is necessary for LIFE.

Conceptual Metaphor

IMPORTANCE IS LIFE (e.g., 'vital issue,' 'vital organ'); NECESSITY IS A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE (e.g., 'vital pillar of the argument').

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Avoid confusing with Russian "витальный" (which is a rare philosophical term).
  • Do not overtranslate as "жизненный"; use "крайне важный" or "необходимый" for the 'essential' sense.
  • Remember it is an adjective, not a noun like "vitality" (жизненная сила).

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'vital' with 'for' incorrectly: 'It is vital for to arrive on time.' (Correct: 'It is vital to arrive...' or 'It is vital for you to arrive...')
  • Confusing 'vital' with 'vitality' (noun meaning energy).
  • Overusing as a synonym for 'important,' thus diluting its stronger meaning.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
It is that we secure funding before the project deadline.
Multiple Choice

In which sentence is 'vital' used INCORRECTLY?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

'Vital' is much stronger than 'important.' It means 'absolutely essential' or 'critical,' often suggesting something cannot function or succeed without it. 'Important' is a more general term for something of significance.

Yes, in two ways. It can describe someone who is essential to an operation ('a vital member of the team'). It can also describe someone full of life and energy ('a vital, energetic leader'), though this use is slightly more literary.

Common structures are: 1) 'It is vital to + infinitive' (It is vital to act quickly). 2) 'It is vital that + subject + verb' (It is vital that he arrives on time). The verb in the 'that' clause is often in the base form or present subjunctive in formal English. 3) 'Something is vital for + noun/gerund' (This tool is vital for the job / for completing the job).

Vital signs are basic medical measurements that indicate the state of a patient's essential body functions. They typically include heart rate (pulse), breathing rate (respiration), body temperature, and blood pressure.